Climate-Friendly Farming Project Underway / June 16, 2005 / News from the USDA Agricultural Research Service: "Reducing greenhouse gases from agriculture is the goal of Climate Friendly Farming, a five-year cooperative project involving the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Washington State University (WSU).
Agriculture accounts for 7 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gases. For example, cows release methane while digesting food; applying nitrogen-based fertilizers leads to nitrous oxide emissions; and tilling speeds the breakdown of soil organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Agriculture can have positive effects, too. Modifying farm practices can preempt the formation and release of gases. For example, instead of tilling, a farmer might adopt direct seeding, a practice that leaves organic matter relatively undisturbed and increases soil carbon storage, according to ARS soil scientists Hal Collins and Dave Huggins. Collins is based at the ARS Vegetable and Forage Crops Production Research Unit at Prosser, Wash., and Huggins works at the ARS Land Management and Water Conservation Research Unit at Pullman, Wash. "
See also Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources and VOHAN
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